Italian Chicken With Pepper
⏲ ~30 min total · prep 22 · cook 8 · 4 servings
Lunch⏱ 45 min total🔥 4.0g net carbs⚡ 449 kcal/serving~8% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs), each sliced horizontally into 2 thin cutlets
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 small yellow onion, halved and sliced into thin crescents
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil
Instructions
- Season the cutlets on both faces with the salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of the oregano.
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until it shimmers, then brown the cutlets in a single layer, 3 minutes per side, until golden; move them to a plate and repeat with any that didn't fit.
- Add the last tablespoon of oil along with the bell peppers and onion; cook 7-8 minutes, stirring only twice, until the peppers go floppy and pick up brown streaks.
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds, pour in the wine and scrape every browned bit off the pan bottom, then stir in the crushed tomatoes and remaining oregano.
- Nestle the cutlets and any collected juices into the pepper sauce, cover, and simmer on medium-low for 8 minutes, until the chicken registers 165°F and the sauce is thick enough to hold a spoon trail for a second.
- Pull off the heat, fold in the basil, and serve the cutlets smothered in the peppers.
Why this recipe works
- Thin cutlets, fast browning Slicing each breast into 2 cutlets doubles the golden surface and gets there in 3 minutes per side. Whole breasts gray before they brown and drag the total time well past 45 minutes.
- Peppers cooked until floppy Seven to 8 minutes with only two stirs lets the peppers collapse and pick up brown streaks. Crunchy peppers fighting the sauce is the usual failure here, and long cooking fixes it.
- One pan carries the sauce The wine pour scrapes every browned bit off the skillet bottom, and those bits season the crushed tomatoes. Nothing built during the browning gets rinsed away.
Tips for making this recipe well
Brown in batches
Cutlets crowded in the pan steam and turn pale. Two batches at 3 minutes per side beat one batch of gray meat every time.
Stir the peppers twice, no more
Leaving them alone between stirs is what builds the brown streaks. Constant turning keeps everything pale and even, which is the opposite of what you want here.
Check the thickest cutlet
After 8 minutes covered, the small cutlets are done and the thick ones may lag. Aim the thermometer at the biggest piece and look for 165°F.
Watch the sauce thicken
You want it thick enough to hold a spoon trail for a second. If it looks soupy at the end of the simmer, take the lid off and let it reduce for a few minutes.
Basil off the heat
Torn basil stirred in after the pan leaves the heat keeps its perfume. Basil simmered 8 minutes in the sauce goes dark and dull.
Serving suggestions
Serve the cutlets smothered, peppers and sauce spooned over the top, with nothing required on the side except a fork. At 4.0 net carbs per serving there is room for zucchini noodles underneath, which turns this into something like an unstuffed-pepper pasta. Both red and yellow peppers go in, and the yellow ones matter because they hold their color through the long cook. A pile of Parmesan at the table would not be traditional here, but nobody has complained about it either.
Storage and meal prep
The chicken and sauce keep together for 3 to 4 days in a covered container, and the sauce thickens and deepens overnight. Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low with a splash of water to loosen it. Freezing works for 2 to 3 months, though the peppers soften further after thawing; they were cooked down already, so the change is modest. Cutlets reheat more evenly if you slice them before storing.
Variations worth trying
- Broth instead of wine Chicken broth replaces the 1/4 cup of dry white wine; the crushed tomatoes already carry the acid.
- Mushroom version Slice 8 oz of cremini mushrooms in with the peppers for an earthier sauce.
- Hotter Double the red pepper flakes or add a smashed dried chili with the garlic.
- Mozzarella finish Lay a thin slice of mozzarella on each cutlet during the last minute of the covered simmer and let it slump.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the horizontal slicing?
You can, but whole breasts need roughly double the cook time and brown less. The 8-minute simmer assumes thin cutlets, so expect to simmer longer and confirm 165°F with a thermometer.
Can I use jarred roasted peppers?
They work in a pinch, but skip the 7-8 minute cook and stir them in with the tomatoes. Jarred peppers are already soft, and cooking them long turns them to mush.
Is the wine necessary?
It does two jobs, deglazing the browned bits and adding acidity. Chicken broth covers the first, and the crushed tomatoes cover the second.
How spicy is this?
A quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes spread across 4 servings registers as warmth rather than heat. Leave them out for kids and add them at the table for adults.
Is this dairy-free?
There is no dairy anywhere in the ingredient list, so it already is. Check the label on your crushed tomatoes if you are strict about additives.
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